Coma
by kailiff
Summary: Axel is extremely bored with his life and bad decisions force him into drug abuse. One day he wakes up in a perfect world. What happened? What's going to happen? AkuRoku. AU. Oneshot.


Title: Coma

Author: EmuDeskPoptart

Pairing/s: Main: AkuRoku. Supporting: Soriku.

Summary: Axel is extremely bored with his life and bad decisions force him into drug abuse. One day he wakes up in a perfect world. What happened? What's going to happen? AkuRoku. AU. Oneshot.

Warnings: AU, shounen-ai/BL, awkward scenes, Axel blubbering like a baby (jk).

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or anything in this fanfiction except for the fanfiction itself. And two KH shirts and a KH keychain.

. • • • .

Axel was just really, really bored. He was sitting in his room flicking his lighter on and off and staring into the depths of its orange-and-blue heat. There was nothing to do. Internet was down, it was dark and cold, and he wasn't even tired (albeit it being four in the morning). He had just been out with his buddies doing whatever destructive acts juvenile delinquents do. Eventually he decided to come home so his mother wouldn't shit herself worrying about whether he was safe or getting the piss beaten out of him by some

other gang of juvenile delinquents. His family lived in a two-bedroom apartment on the third floor. He was soaked through to the bone with rain.

Axel clicked the cap back on his lighter, threw it on his desk and threw himself on his bed. He sighed amid the gloom. Everything was so dull, so boring. It was the same old thing every day. Axel didn't know how much longer he could take it. He hoped his intake of cigarettes would lead to an early death via lung cancer so he could just _get out of this hell hole_.

Axel finally concluded it was high time he should hit the sack despite his not being tired, so he did, sighing as he stripped to his undies and curled into his Duskman sheets. He settled into an uncomfortable slumber.

. • • • .

The next day didn't bring much more excitement than the day before. When Axel woke up he put on some leather pants and made his way to the kitchen at a slow crawl. After pouring himself a bowl of Cookie Crisp he finished getting dressed and shuffled down to the bus stop. He hated school. He hated this dreary life.

During his free period, Axel decided to go out to the back of the school and smoke with his "friends." These weren't his real friends because he didn't need real friends. They were fake and plastic and brought him no joy. They, just like everything else, were gray and boring.

Random, faceless girls were the usual thing to see during smoke breaks. Often they flirted and hit on him, but he always paid no attention. Axel didn't have time to think about some stupid skanks. He had better things to do than listen to them, like trying to kill himself with cigarette after cigarette and dreading tomorrow. Oh well, if they didn't give him a migraine he might just let one of them give him a blowjob. That would be the peak of her accomplishments in her lifetime.

Axel arrived at the conclusion that he did not want to return to class after his free period. All he had was math and history. Who really needed those things anyway? Not him, that's for sure. Instead, Axel travelled by bus to the nearest big city, which was only about 10 miles away. Hollow Bastion occasionally held something moderately interesting. Arcades, cafes, bars (which only let him in if he put an X on his hand) were some of the places he went to. Sometimes there was a concert or a party he could attend as well.

Today Axel could find very little to do around Hollow Bastion. Although it was teeming with people (most of which were old ladies, groups of college students and ladies with small children), not much was happening. It wasn't late enough to go to a bar and in broad sunlight it was obvious he was playing hooky. He himself looked like a delinquent. His leather pants and spiky bright-red hair did nothing to improve his image. Maybe he could just go for a walk someplace darker where he might blend in a bit more. Besides, he looked really weird standing next to the flower shop.

Lighting another cancer-stick, Axel found himself in the bad side of town. Things were starting to look slum-like and he had already walked past quite a few prostitutes, all of which tried to lure him in with promises of good times and worth-your-whiles.

"Hey kid," the voice of a man called, piercing.

Axel glanced into a dark, wet alleyway. A shady-looking man gestured for him to come closer. Axel decided he had nothing to lose and so proceeded to shuffle over to him, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Ya want some 'a this?" asked the man, smiling. He held up a little baggy. It had a bit of white powder in it. Axel stared at it.

Coke.

"How much?" he asked.

Coke. Was he seriously going to buy coke?

The man's smile broadened. It resembled yellow pins and needles.

"Not much, only 5,000 munny," he said pleasantly, laid-back.

Axel eyed him critically.

"For a gram?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Oh, yes," replied the man. "This stuff's hard to get these days. I assure you, mine are the best prices. Other places might even charge you twice for less."

Axel, uneducated in the world of drug sales, pondered for a second before reaching in his pocket and pulling out his wallet. He had exactly 5,000 munny. If he bought this, he'd be out of munny and would go hungry until he finally meandered back home. He could go without food for a few more hours but he couldn't do anything else without money. But then he remembered that he could just go to the bank if he wanted to.

"Deal," he declared. "But gimmie the powder first. No shanking and no bailing and it'll be peachy keen."

"Pleasure doin' business with ya, kid," said the man, who handed over the baggy. Axel completed the trade by giving the man the money and stuffing the bag in his pocket. He left the alley as quickly as he could and took a long drag from his cigarette.

"This is fucked up," he muttered to himself, looking around to make sure the coast was clear.

When Axel finally got home it was around midnight. He hadn't really done much in Hollow Bastion. He hadn't forgotten about the little parcel in his pocket, either. It was still right there, pressed hot against his thigh. He still couldn't believe he had actually bought cocaine. One thing that came to his mind was that if his parents found out, although they generally liken him to a piece of dirt of the floor of contempt, he would be dead meat. They would throw him out on his scrawny ass before he could give a lame excuse like, "So-and-so said it was powdered sugar, how was I supposed to know?"

But now there was only one thing he could do with it: do it.

. • • • .

When Axel went to school the next day, he was a bit different (putting it lightly). He had decided that since he was always so tired in the morning, he could do the coke before school. The drug was already taking effect. Axel was almost as energetic as he was when he was a little kid. He was basically running around and being loud. Things suddenly seemed a lot more colorful. His friends hardly even recognized him. Every break he fled to the bathroom to do more since the high didn't last too long. During their normal smoke-break Axel thoroughly freaked them out when he exclaimed, "Sheeeee-it, this smoke is fucking _amaz_- I FEEL LIKE RUNNING!"

But there was one problem. Axel wanted more. He felt good. He felt like now the world was actually worth while and not just a boring, dingy blur. Everything was chromatic. Nothing was gray. Color... it was beautiful. It was worth while.

Once school got out he was back to normal, since the buzz wore off and he ran out of coke. He missed the effects, though. He missed being interested in things. He missed the color, the blood pumping through his veins.

So he fled to Hollow Bastion and took 5,000 munny out of the bank. He went back to the slums and searched through the alleys, looking for that shady-looking man. He had to be there somewhere. But really, how many shady-looking men can there be in the city? Hundreds, probably. Perhaps even thousands.

"Yo," called a voice. Axel turned on his heel to greet the owner of said voice. It was the same man from yesterday. "You come back to visit?"

"You got any more?" Axel asked.

"Did ya like it?" the man smiled. Axel just stared at him.

"You got any more?" he insisted.

"Pushy, I see," said the man. "But yeah, I got some. Ya willin' ta pay?"

Axel took out the 5,000 munny and the trade was sealed. Axel hurried out of there and got back onto the main road. He looked around again to see if he was caught, but no one seemed to be there.

. • • • .

The next day carried on much like the day before. Axel did coke before school and during breaks and was energetic until it let out. He went to town and took 5,000 munny from the bank and met with the shady-looking man. He never found out the man's name. Maybe he didn't want his name known? He could have given a fake name. Axel didn't care much anyway, as long as he got his fix. His mom was going to be pissed that his savings were going down the drain, though.

This routine carried on for a long time. Axel got addicted. He loved the effects of the drug. He felt energetic and the natural paint of the world stood out. Although he wasn't as hungry (which scared his mother, as Axel usually ate like some sort of pillaging beast), he didn't really care. As long as he could find a way out of this dreary reality he lived in, he was okay with it. It was his salvation.

. • • • .

One day, Axel got a bit carried away. He blasted music so loud he couldn't hear himself think. That was okay, though, because who needs to think when you're about to get high, huh? If the neighbors were banging on their walls to make him turn it down, he didn't hear nor care. He was too preoccupied using his debit card to separate the snow-white powder into thin lines. Snorting wasn't his favorite, as it often made him sneeze, but it was quicker than spreading it on his gums. He wanted a quick fix. He had also bought a bit more than usual. For about a week he feared his parents would discover the drug and stopped buying it, and now he was making up for his loss. It took a few minutes for the effects to kick in, but once he felt the high, he grinned. He didn't think at all. He gave a loud whoop and tore off his shirt. His shoes went next, and then his pants. Perhaps his mother banged on the door, but the door was locked and he couldn't have heard her anyway. The music and the drugs put him in his own little world. He lit himself a cigarette. That was a bonus, right? Suddenly he felt very warm and threw open the window. Cool autumn air flowed in and surrounded him. It enveloped the whole room, but he was still warm. He then became worried that his mother might be able to open the door somehow. What if she could pick locks? What if she got an ax and hacked his door open? Paranoid of this, he decided he must escape. If his mom caught him, he'd be a goner. He climbed up on the ledge of his window. The world flew by, then it all disappeared as if the sun was turned off. All his senses could perceive was the faint scent of chrysanthemums and something dreadfully hard and cold. In a flash, they were gone as well as the rest of the world.

. • • • .

Axel woke up. What time was it? He opened his eyes and looked at the clock. 7:30. He needed to get ready for school.

As Axel was getting out of bed, he realized something. He wasn't exhausted like he normally was at this _ungodly _hour. He actually felt rested. How long had he been sleeping for him to feel this good, a week?

He looked out the window. The sky was bluer than he had ever seen it and only had a few clouds. When he opened the window, the air that flowed in was sweeter and crisper than it had been before. Axel was confused. Normally the air carried the musk from car exhaust and smokestacks. Normally it was stale and grey. Normally him waking up was followed by a feeling of need, a feeling that was cancelled out by spreading cocaine on his gums or by snorting or some other means. The only feeling Axel felt was a dull rumble in the pit of his stomach. He was hungry. That was all.

When Axel was dressed he went to the kitchen. His mother was cooking breakfast and his father was reading the paper. He rarely saw his parents in the morning, let alone in anything like this tranquil breakfast scene. The smell of freshly-cooked bacon and eggs penetrated him. It smelled heavenly, as if it were of some sort of ambrosia of the gods. Had bacon and eggs ever smelled this good before?

Axel's father glanced up from his paper.

"Mornin', son," he said pleasantly, and began to read again.

Axel stared. This scene was too wild for him. His father, reading the paper like a stereotypical middle-aged dad and calling him "son?" Axel considered himself lucky if his father didn't beat him with the toaster. What in the world...?

"What's going on?" Axel asked, looking somewhat worried and helpless his skin-tight bluejeans.

His mother turned around inquisitively.

"What do you mean, dear?" she asked.

"'Dear?' I don't..." he said, lost for words. "Look, I'mma just get some Cookie Crisp."

"What? But I made all this food," his mother frowned, absolutely heartbroken. Axel was getting freaked out.

"What's the occasion?" he asked, getting a bowl out, trying not to sound too weirded out.

"I don't need a special occasion to make breakfast for my son!" she declared with a passion. "I cook breakfast every day, what's gotten into you?"

"Son, don't trouble your mother, just eat the bacon and eggs," his father said, butting into the conversation but still looking at his paper.

"Mom, you only cooked breakfast when I was a kid, I do my own thing now," Axel replied. "Fuck, I'm seventeen."

"Watch the language, son," his father said.

Axel paused. His mother looked worried he'd gone insane. His father cared when he cussed. What in the world had happened?

"I'm going to school now," he announced, and just grabbed an apple before leaving. He didn't have a chance to take out the cereal and milk and didn't even put his bowl back. If things were any weirder at school, he'd probably shit his pants.

. • • • .

Once Axel arrived at school he noticed that the campus as a whole was much brighter and cleaner than it had been the last time he was there. The whole way to school was nicer, too. Other kids were laughing and joking around in front of the large building as Axel shuffled inside. Even the hallways and corridors were nicer. Classrooms were nice. Did they redo the entire school overnight? The whole town? No one else seemed to notice, as if it had always been that way.

As Axel was walking to his first class, he heard a yell, shoes squeak on the linoleum floor and a few seconds later felt an impact. Papers, pens and textbooks flew around as Axel and the perpetrator collapsed into an ungraceful heap.

"Shit, ow," Axel cursed, rubbing his side, which he had crash-landed upon.

"Sorry, are you okay?" asked a voice in a hurried manner. Axel looked in it's direction.

A boy with sapphire-blue eyes and tousled, blond hair looked up at him. The eyes were as clear as the ocean.

"No," Axel answered back, standing up and dusting himself off. "Watch where you're going."

"Well, sorr-y," replied the blond. "I thought I was going to be late."

"Late? Class starts in five minutes," Axel stated, lending him a hand. "You a freshie or something? Lost your map already?"

"No, I just moved here," the blond said, rolling his eyes. "I'm a senior."

"You're pretty puny, parents feed you only celery?" Axel smirked.

"Oh, yes, we can't afford to buy anything that has more than the nutritional value of water," he said sarcastically. "No, I'm just naturally like this."

"The name's Axel, got it memorized?" Axel said vainly. He was pleased that he had a chance to use his catchphrase.

"Uh, sure," the blond replied vacantly, not really understanding why Axel had introduced himself like that. "I'm Roxas."

The bell rang and the pair jumped at the sudden sound.

"Well, time to get to class," Axel declared. "See ya later."

"Yup, bye."

. • • • .

Roxas, Roxas, Roxas. The name stuck in his head and would not come out. Axel caught himself scribbling the name on his notebook more than once. It wasn't only the name that caught his attention. Axel thought of cool, blue pools and golden wheat and it captivated him. Axel concluded that it was just a trick of this brighter world he now lived it.

At lunch, Axel sat with his friends. In the far corner, he could spy the blond sitting with another boy who looked just like him but with wild, brown hair. He seemed to have the same cerulean eyes.

During his free period, Axel retreated to the back of the school for a smoke. Just like always, his friends and a couple of girls crowded around him. This time was different, though. Instead of girls asking for lewd displays of affection, they chatted about TV shows and homework. His friends didn't smoke, they just joined in the conversation casually. Was this all just a plot played on him by everyone he knew? What if Roxas was in on it, too? Axel blew circles with the smoke of his cigarette thinking how he never knew what good actors everyone was.

Axel discovered that Roxas was in the same AP history class as him. He used his time creating paper footballs and flicking them at the back of Roxas's head. When the blond turned around Axel made the biggest grin he could muster and waved enthusiastically, earning him a snort most of the time. After a few times, Roxas started glaring at him in annoyance, so he stopped..

After a few minutes Axel started up again making the footballs. This time he aimed for Roxas's desk instead of the back of his head. Inside the football was a note. When Roxas opened the football he read the message, "_Wanna hang out after school?_" scrawled in chicken scratch. Axel watched him take out a pen and scribble an answer before refolding the football and placing it in his desk.

When Axel passed Roxas's seat once class got out, a paper football was placed in his hand. He glanced at Roxas and noticed a faint smile on his face. When Axel opened the note he read, "_Sure, let's meet out front_," written neatly. Axel almost wanted to clock the little punk for having handwriting so much nicer than his.

. • • • .

"Sooo where did you move from?" Axel asked, trying to be smooth.

"I just moved here with my brother and parents from Destiny Island," Roxas replied.

The two of them were sitting on the bus making their way towards Hollow Bastion.

"Oh, really?" Axel inquired. "You're so pale, though."

"Actually, I burn in the sun instead of tan so I've always been pretty pale," Roxas replied.

"I guess that explains it," Axel said. "Never imagined you to be an islander, though."

"Well, I'm originally from Twilight Town," Roxas answered.

"Quite an extreme change, isn't it?" Axel asked.

"Yeah, but we manage," Roxas shrugged. "So what about you? Been in Radiant Garden all your life?"

Axel stopped and stared at Roxas with a cocked brow. Radiant Garden? Weren't they in Hollow Bastion?

"Wait, where?" he asked. The blond looked at him, confused.

"Radiant Garden, you know, the city we live in...?" he repeated, probably thinking that Axel was the biggest idiot ever.

"Isn't this Hollow Bastion?" the redhead asked.

"Hollow Ba-what? This is Radiant Garden," Roxas insisted, eyebrows furrowing together. The bus passed a shop with the sign, "_Radiant Garden Moogle Shop_," which Axel could have sworn should have been called, "_Hollow Bastion Moogle Shop_." Axel stared at Roxas dumbly for a few seconds before looking away and sitting up.

Hollow Bastion, Radiant Garden. Hollow Bastion, Radiant Garden. The names whirred in his head like a hamster on a hamster wheel. Roxas continued to watch him with a puzzled look on his face.

"You know what, never mind," Axel said after a minute or two. "Radiant Garden, whatever. You like coffee? I like coffee. Let's get coffee at The Duck Bros."

"Um... okay," Roxas hesitated, still confused.

The bus dumped them out in front of the flower shop and they had a nice, yet awkward jaunt over to the coffee shop. The didn't talk much and just got their coffee. When the pair found out that Roxas didn't have enough money on him to pay for his coffee, Axel proposed that he would pay for the both of them, and Roxas thanked him.

After that they went to the arcade and played games like Flurry of Dancing Flames and The Key to Destiny as well as a couple first-person shooters and racing games. Axel was surprised to find that Roxas was really, really good at video games and beat him almost every time.

Once the sun was beginning to set, Roxas glanced at his watch.

"I have to get home," he said, frowning.

"This early?" Axel asked. "My folks let me stay out way past midnight."

"In my family we go through a cycle of who cooks dinner and tonight's my turn," Roxas explained.

"I guess I'll follow you home then," Axel said.

"That's really creepy, but okay," Roxas stated.

"Thanks, babe," Axel smirked.

"If you want, you can stay for dinner," the blond suggested.

"Hmmm... sure," Axel mused.

. • • • .

Roxas's house was a lot nicer than Axel's (which had somehow become nicer that day, along with everything else). First of all, he lived in an actual house and not in an old apartment. Secondly, he lived in a good neighborhood. Third, it was a fuckin' Victorian.

"Damn," Axel said. "You keep doin' things that make me jealous."

"Like what?" Roxas asked, opening the front door and inviting him in.

"Like living in a nice-ass house," Axel replied. "And kicking my ass at video games."

"No, you just suck," Roxas stuck out his tongue and closing the door. "I'm hooooome!"

The brunette that was sitting with Roxas at lunch that day was hiding behind the door with a devious expression and Axel suppressed a snort, knowing what was going to come about.

The inevitable happened. The brunette leaped from his hiding place and landed on poor, unsuspecting Roxas with a cry. The two crashed to the ground while Axel stood watching. A guy with long, silver hair walked by and looked at them as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Get off!" Roxas wailed under the brunette, flailing his arms. "I have company!"

"You're late, it's your turn to cook dinner!" the brunette returned. "Mom almost made me do it!"

"Should I leave?" Axel inquired.

"No, stay!" Roxas exclaimed, managing to push the brunette off of him ("Firaga!" he yelled) and scramble to his feet, panting.

"Axel, this is my brother, Sora," Roxas stated, gesturing to the brunette. "We're fraternal twins."

"Fiesty," Axel commented. "Nice ta meetcha."

Sora grinned ear-to-ear.

"Hi!" he beamed and grabbed Axel's hand to shake it animatedly. He then got distracted by something in the other room and skipped off.

"I guess he has someone over too," Roxas mumbled, shuffling into the kitchen. "Probably Riku..."

"It'll be like a party," Axel grinned.

"Um, not really," Roxas raised a brow. "What do you want? I don't know what to cook."

"What do you know how to cook?" Axel asked.

"...Food," Roxas replied blandly.

"Wow. Didn't see that one coming. You know, you have such a way with words. You have this way of explaining things that's just magical," Axel remarked. "How aboooout... pasta?"

"I have an idea," Roxas declared, ignoring Axel's snide remarks and throwing his arms in the air and beginning to bustle around the kitchen getting this and that. "Could you get the container of parmesan from the fridge for me?"

Axel did as he was told, not questioning the authority of this blond beauty. They found bags of frozen broccoli and shrimp in the freezer and mixed them together with pasta and buttery alfredo sauce.

After about ten minutes into the procedure of cooking the meal, a petite woman walked into the kitchen. She had crystal-clear, azure eyes just like Roxas. Roxas's mother? She looked so young. Roxas turned and glanced at her.

"Hey mom," he called. "I hope you don't mind, I brought over some company."

Roxas's mother smiled.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"The name's Axel," he replied, deciding not to use his catchphrase. If he used it, Roxas might suspect something. Maybe. Axel was always a little paranoid. It must have been some sort of side effect from the coke.

"Riku's over!" exclaimed Sora from the other room.

"Well, what are you making?" Roxas's mother asked. "It smells great!"

"Some sort of shrimp-broccoli-pasta thing..." Roxas replied, busily stirring the sauce so it wouldn't burn or stick to the bottom.

"And I helped!" Axel included.

"I'm sure it'll be delicious!" she smiled and wandered off.

Axel and Roxas shared a sigh.

"Is your mother always so perky?" Axel asked.

"Yeah," Roxas replied. "And Sora inherited it from her."

"I can see that," the redhead chuckled. "So this almost done?"

"Yeah, we just need to mix it all together," Roxas said, picking up the saucepan and pouring it carefully in with the broccoli, shrimp and pasta. Axel got out a spatula to get as much sauce into the mixture as possible and make sure it was thoroughly mixed.

"Can you get... let's see..." Roxas pondered. "Six bowls from that cabinet?"

"Sure," Axel replied, and proceeded to grab said bowls while Roxas yelled "Dinner!" at the top of his lungs.

Soon each family member and guest was situated around the dinner table, each with a bowl and fork to call his own. Sitting across from Axel was Roxas and Sora's father, a man with blond hair but dull, green eyes. He kept glancing at Axel as if he didn't trust him. Axel couldn't really blame him, though. He kinda sorta wanted in Roxas's pants.

After dinner Axel and Roxas filed into Roxas's living room to play more video games. Some of the games they had were Sora's. He liked one-player fantasy RPG games, apparently. He liked them a lot. He also liked those games that are rated E for Everyone that release when some Disney movie comes out, like Toy Story 3 the Video Game.

Eventually Sora and Riku came in and joined them, and the four had a Rock Band party. Sora wanted the microphone for every song they played and they just let him have it, despite his not-that-good (putting it lightly) vocal skills.

Once it turned midnight Roxas's parents made them turn off the games and Sora and Riku scampered off somewhere.

"Well, it's gotten late, I should probably head home," Axel declared, a lamp dimly illuminating the room.

"Really? Well, yeah, I guess it is late," Roxas said, stifling a yawn.

"But yeah, it was real fun comin' over," Axel grinned. "And eating your cooking~!"

Axel failed to see a faint pinkness sweep over Roxas's features in the dull light.

"I'm not that good at cooking," the blond mumbled. "It was fun having you over, though."

"Puh-shaw, Roxy, you're awesome," Axel waved his hand in a not-completely-heterosexual gesture.

"What, we going by nicknames already?" Roxas laughed. It was a few steps away from being a giggle. "Fine then, Ax."

"Or maybe... since we both have an X in our names, how about we just take out the X and see what we get?" Axel suggested. "I get Lea."

"I get Sora," Roxas snorted. "See how original my parents were in naming my brother and I?"

Axel couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, whatever, you can just call me Ax and I'll just call you Roxy or something like that," he said, opening the front door. "See ya at school tomorrow."

"Bye!"

When Axel closed the door he wore a shit-eating grin

. • • • .

The trek home was cold and lonesome. The city sky was clear. Usually it was orange from smog and lights. All he could hear were his footsteps on pavement and the faint sounds of the city in the background. This was the new world he lived in.

12:30, Axel opened the front door to his apartment. He could hear his father snoring in the other room. Both his parents were fast asleep. Axel himself was dead tired and completely convinced that once he fell asleep he wouldn't wake up until morning. Axel shuffled to his bedroom, closed the window that he had opened that morning, stripped and then climbed into bed. He was glad it hadn't rained that day or else the many things cluttered around his window would have been ruined.

• . . . •

Roxas flopped down onto the couch and stayed there for a minute before creeping up to his room at snail's pace.

He passed Sora's room and heard noises and the faint drone of Sora's stereo set to the softest volume. It was a secret that those two had been going out for well over a year and Roxas was the only one who knew. After the move, they had difficulty seeing each other and Roxas thought that perhaps the distance was painful for them. When Riku did come visit, he usually spent the night in Sora's room. They were always all over each other and often only parted when someone other than Roxas entered whichever room they were sucking face in.

After a couple minutes of debating whether to break up the love-fest and make them go to sleep or not, Roxas decided he didn't really care and just proceeded onward to his room.

The walls of Roxas's room back in Destiny Islands were painted in black-and-white checkers. His walls now were covered in old, stained, floral wallpaper. He had tried to cover it up with various music, game and anime posters, but most of the ugliness still shone through proudly. On the wall opposite the door was a large French window. In a corner was a small desk with a cup for pencils and other writing instruments, a laptop with mouse and various chachkies all around. Roxas's bed was messy and unmade. A mobile was hanging from the middle of the ceiling, and a star-shaped clap-on clap-off light and a digital alarm clock were on a small table next to his bed. There were still several boxes and suitcases still littering his floor and he had to watch his step. Roxas took off his jeans, flung them across the room and snuggled into a cotton wonderland.

• . . . •

The next morning Roxas awoke to his alarm clock blaring in his ear. Sora or someone was pounding on his door, yelling at him to wake up. It was 7:53 and if he didn't get up now, he'd be late for the bus. So he fell out of his bed and rolled over to his dresser (as best he could with so much stuff on the floor). He took out the first things he laid his hands on. He didn't really care what he wore as long as his parents didn't beat him for being late to school yet again, not like they would anyway. He could shower tomorrow.

He ran a hand through his naturally disheveled hair in an attempt of putting it in order. Whether it worked or not, he didn't care much. He descended the stairs two at a time and shot into the kitchen. He didn't feel like waiting for even a poptart to toast and just grabbed an apple and headed out the door. Sora was already long gone and Riku had left early in the morning. Well, _earlier_.

When Roxas finally made it to school he saw something that immediately brightened his day: A shock of pointy red hair. Roxas broke into a fair trot and cantered over to his tall, gangly friend.

"Mornin'," Roxas chirped. He was surprised at how much happier he was once he was with Axel.

"Good morning," the redhead grinned. "You seem to be in a good mood. You a morning person?"

"Naw, I 'spose I'm just in a good mood today," Roxas hummed. "Let's sit together at lunch, see ya!"

The bell rang and the two separated to their respective classes.

At lunch Axel ditched his usual group and went to sit with Sora and Roxas. The three of them were content with idle chit-chat, at least that's what Roxas thought. He actually kind of wanted Sora to go find himself some of his own friends so that he could talk to Axel and get to know Axel all by himself.

During history, Roxas wondered whether Axel would throw more paper footballs. He didn't. Roxas supposed that he had wasted enough paper the day before. He had lost count of how many footballs had been flicked at his head and wondered if there were any stuck in his hair from yesterday.

After history, Roxas went up to Axel as he was packing up.

"Hey, wanna go into town and get some ice cream?" he ventured.

Axel looked up at him and smiled. Roxas wondered what Axel could be thinking about.

"Sure, Roxy," he replied, swinging his bag to his shoulder. The strap looked like it was about to break. What in the world was in that bag? Lead, perhaps?

"Well then, let's go," Roxas adjusted the strap of his own bag so it crossed over his chest. "Ice cream doesn't buy itself!"

"What's your favorite flavor?" Axel asked.

"Seasalt ice cream!" Roxas had trouble keeping himself from licking his lips at the very idea of eating some.

"_Seasalt_?" Axel wrinkled his nose. "That sounds gross."

"Oh, but it is the most delicious flavor of all!" Roxas preached, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. "I'll let you try some of mine."

"I dunno, Roxy..." Axel said, wary.

"Trust me on this one, you'll love it."

"Well, okay. It's worth a shot."

• . . . •

"I'd like one seasalt ice cream, please."

Roxas and Axel had successfully found their way to Radiant Garden by bus and were now standing next to a small ice cream stall on the sidewalk. Roxas paid for his ice cream and offered the first bite to Axel.

"I dunno, it's gonna look kinda weird with me eating from the same bar as you," Axel protested.

"Oh, c'mon, it's fine," Roxas rolled his eyes. "S'not like either of us is terminally ill or has AIDS or anything."

"Okay, fine, Mr. Insistent," Axel scowled. He took the ice cream from Roxas's small hand and took a bite. Roxas watched for a negative or positive reaction. Axel chewed and held a deliberative, thoughtful look.

"It's salty," he commented, completely oblivious to the fact that sea_salt _ice cream was supposed to be that way. "But sweet..."

"So...?"

"Not bad, but it might be an acquired taste on my part."

"Acquired taste or not, it's good, right?"

A smile.

"Yup."

• . . . •

A little bit later, the pair split up, each intent on reaching home. When Roxas got home, he immediately went right to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, threw his bag at the floor and nearly attacked his twin-sized bed next to the window. He snuggled his face into his pillow and closed his eyes so shut you would have needed a crowbar to open them. He dosed for a couple minutes before turning around and gazing up at the ceiling. His mobile moved a bit, wind flowing in from the open window.

He thought of Axel.

Really, he had only known Axel for a couple days and yet it felt like he had known him for years. When he was with Axel he felt different. He didn't really know what it was. Axel was different. Everything in the world seemed like it was made to be perfect. Colors were bright and rarely anyone did something bad. There was the exception of petty thieves and politicians, but other than that, life was good. Houses were clean, lawns were mowed and things seemed to exist in harmony. Then why was Axel different? He wasn't perfect, Roxas could see that.

When Roxas was little, he used to love going outside and finding things. Usually the things he found were perfect. An untarnished flower, a blemishless fruit or an unbroken seashell. One time, though, he found a leaf that had been partially eaten by a caterpillar. This was the first imperfect thing he had found. Despite having spots chewed out of it, it was beautiful because it held the crimson red of fall, though it was still a bit emerald green from summer and spring. It was beautiful because it was different and imperfect. To him, this leaf was Axel. The leaf, like Axel, was imperfect. It was different. It was beautiful.

. • • • .

Axel was greeted by his mother once he stepped through his door. She was cheerfully awaiting him with dinner. When he had plopped his bag down next to the couch, she came over to him, stood on her tippy-toes and kissed him right on the cheek with a "Welcome home, sweetie!" To Axel this was, frankly, very odd. She hadn't kissed him since he was in grade school. She skipped back over to the kitchen counter.

"I hope you're in the mood for brisket~!" she sang, spinning around with the dish of beef in her hands. Axel decided he was always in the mood for brisket.

After dinner, he went right to bed. Sleep was something he didn't get much before, as he always stayed out way late with friends. He would savour it however much he could.

. • • • .

"_Meet me out back._

_-Axel _"

The note had been carefully folded into a paper football and pushed through a slot in Roxas's locker. Axel stealthily tip-toed away from it, leaving nary a trace of his being there. He would have flicked it at Roxas's head during history, but they had been caught by the teacher and were denied from continuing this action.

It was currently right before last period began and since Roxas had already been to his locker and had hurried over to history, Axel had no risk of the blond seeing him. And who cared if Axel was a little late, anyway? It was normal for him to be late to classes and punishments were significantly less severe in this "era" of his life than before.

When Axel entered the classroom (late!) the teacher was as placid as usual.

"How nice of you to join us, Axel," he said pleasantly. "Please take your seat."

Axel put his hand up in acknowledgement and mosied over to his seat, glancing at Roxas along the way, whom was rolling his eyes and smirking at our red-haired protagonist. Axel returned the favor.

About a month had gone by since the pair had met. Many mornings, afternoons and evenings they had reserved just for spending time with each other. Several weekends spent playing video games or watching movies had sped by. Time was a vortex and they were being sucked in, oblivious to it. They discovered things about each other. Favorites, first times, likes and dislikes, wishes were shared by spoken word and occasionally by text or email. They settled differences in little more than a huff and grinned over similarities. Most importantly, they grew closer; Each liked the other more than they showed, and they showed quite a bit.

After school, Axel hurried out of the classroom quick as a wink, leaving a confused Roxas in the dust. He just hoped Roxas went to his locker. If he didn't all his beautiful plans would be ruined! Except it wasn't plans. It was just plan. So if this got screwed up, he was stumped.

Alas! As the red-head was waiting in back of the school, pacing nervously, he spied his favorite short, blond Roxas. He debated waving him over and decided against it.

"What, do you have something important to say?" Roxas asked, grinning. "Gonna tell me any dirty little secrets that can't be uttered within earshot of others?"

"More or less, though I wouldn't phrase it like that," Axel pondered. Was he trying to buy time? No, he should just get it over and done with! Enough feeling like a pussy.

"So what did you want to ta-"

"I like you."

Roxas froze.

Did he not hear him? No, he had to have... Maybe he should say it again?

"...I... I like you," he repeated. His palms were getting sweaty, despite it being 50 out. "I really like you, actually, s-so..."

Instantly, a rush of red and pink color flooded Roxas's face and heated his features to the tips of his ears. He pried apart his lips, as if to speak, but no sound escaped. He tried again.

"A... A..." was all he could muster.

"A?" Axel frowned, blushing himself. "Axel? A-okay? Asshole? Antidisastablishmentarianism?"

"R-really?" the blond exclaimed, probably lost for words.

That didn't start with an "a"...

"Y-yeah."

"Like... like-like?"

What in the world was he doing asking such a juvenile question? But it didn't really matter at this point... neither of them were really acting perfectly in their right minds.

Axel noticed that they were now very close. When he had confessed the first time, weren't they a yard apart? Now they were less than a foot. When did that happen? Oh, that didn't matter, either! Mostly because Roxas was inching slowly closer as if by some impulse, all the while glancing away and then back to Axel in spastic intervals.

Eventually the scant space between them was finally closed and sealed with a rather quick, hasty kiss. The perpetrator of said kiss recoiled and stepped back, covering his face.

"Sorry, I couldn't really control myself, I was too nervous... I didn't really know what to say," Roxas sputtered, peeking through his fingers up at Axel. "It kind of surprised me, too."

Axel's mouth was sorta, kinda, a little bit agape.

"If you didn't get the message..." Roxas started, face painted red as roses behind his hands. "I like you too."

Axel threw his head back and burst out laughing. This kid was too cute.

"So, I guess... wanna go out?" he asked.

Roxas laughed. It sounded like music.

"Sure."

Axel was really glad that awkward moment was over and that it had ended as well as it had. Who needs a plan B? Although he really wished they hadn't acted like lovesick puppies the whole way through... it took a good bit away from his manliness.

"So... what do you want to do on our first _date_?" Roxas asked, grabbing Axel's hand and intertwining their fingers as they made their way to the bus stop.

"Hmmm... I'll have to think about that," Axel replied. "I hadn't thought that far ahead yet."

"Mini-golf?"

"Really? Wouldn't that be boring and little kid-ish?"

"Maybe a bit little kid-ish but I think it's fun."

"Okay, mini-golf it is, then. Friday?"

"At seven! And we can eat there, too. There's a little hamburger joint attached to the side of it."

"Okay, see you then. Want me to accompany you home, miss?"

"Uhh, it's not needed, Prince Charming."

"Fine, be that way."

Roxas got off at his stop.

"Bye!"

"See ya, gorgeous."

. • • • .

Seven o'clock sharp, Friday night. Axel had arrived at Roxas's house for their first date, and damn was he nervous. He wasn't normally the type to get all mushy and search through his closet for the best outfit. He had even tied his hair back into a ponytail in order to look a little more well put together.

Normally his dates consisted of getting lucky and normally his dates were sluttier than him. With Roxas, this was completely not the case. Sure, Axel wanted to get into the blond's pants, but that wasn't solely why he courted him. He felt that there was something there, something special. Something he would deny was there because it was just way too cheesy.

Axel approached the door and hesitantly rang the doorbell. He could hear the chime resonate through the house from where he was standing on the welcome mat. He heard footsteps and talking.

"What do you want?" asked the man who had opened the door. It was Roxas's dad.

"Um...I'm here to pick up Roxy, sir," I replied, stomach fluttering. The man looked up at Axel (who seemed a towering giant next to this man of 5'6") and grunted. He allowed Axel to come in. Axel indeed did come in and after which avoided Roxas's father like the plague. Even though Axel was much taller than him, his presence seemed to tower over him as if he was a bug that was only good for squashing.

Axel ventured up the stairs and to Roxas's room, where the blond was probably still getting ready. Axel hoped he would catch himself a good eyeful before Roxas punched him in the face and called him a perv.

Alas, Roxas was all ready and was actually only surfing the internet on his laptop when Axel opened the door (without knocking). The blond looked up at Axel and took off his bulky headphones.

"Hey, Ax." A hint of bashfulness coated his voice.

"You ready for our date, Roxy?" Axel smirked.

"I can't wait," he replied. "I even got ready early and I've been on the computer, ready, for the past hour or so."

"Well, then, _vamos_," Axel said as he took Roxas's hand in his and they pranced away. He could feel his father's gaze on the back on his neck as they left.

. • • • .

The mini golf course looked like it was made out of rejected children's toys. Each hole had a different theme. The first theme was dinosaurs, and there was a little T-Rex and you had to putt your ball into its mouth and it came out the other side. Other themes included dolls, clowns, aliens and dogs.

"Why did you ask to come here, and why did I agree?" Axel asked Roxas as they were at the booth to get their putters and balls. He didn't even know there _was_ a mini golf place in Hollow Bastion (or rather, Radiant Garden).

"Because it's fun," Roxas replied, picking out a black ball.

"Fun? No, all this stuff looks like crap," Axel commented, taking an orange one.

"Try it, maybe you'll like it," Roxas grinned. "I'll even show you how to hit the ball."

"Why do you know so much about mini golf?"

"Because my family is full of dorks who like to do stuff like this, including me."

"Fine, how do I hit this stupid thing?"

"I'll go first and you watch me."

Roxas placed his little ball on the tee and lined himself up so that his knees were a little bent and his arms and the putter were in a Y shape. He brought up his arms a little and gently hit the ball. It went right into the dinosaur's mouth, came out the other side and went right into the hole.

"Hole in one, fuck yeaaahhhh!" Roxas exclaimed throwing his arms in the air and making sure not to accidentally bludgeon Axel in the face with his putter.

"God damn, why are you good at everything?" Axel frowned, crossing his arms. "Boyfriend is jealous. I give up, you win by default."

"That's no fun," Roxas said, still grinning from his victory. "I want you to at least try!"

"Fine, but I don't want to do this one," Axel replied. "You already ruined my hopes and dreams for this hole."

"Okay, okay, next hole, then," Roxas rolled his eyes and led Axel to the next hole, which had a dog theme.

"Watch the master at work," Axel drawled, trying to imitate the stance Roxas held at the hole before and failing. His putter was much too short, which made it difficult for him.

"Sure thing, 'master'," Roxas snorted, standing back to watch. "Remember, the par is two."

Axel had no idea what the second thing Roxas said meant, but he figured it wasn't very important. The first time he tried to hit the ball, he hit it too hard and it bounced off all the sides before stopping feebly before Axel's feet, all tuckered out. The second time, he hit it too softly and it only went a few inches. After several more tries, he had managed to get almost nowhere. He was already getting fairly pissed at this game.

He turned to Roxas.

"Roxyyy, it won't go innn," he whined.

"Ugh, fine, I'll do it for you," Roxas sighed. "Honestly, you can't take care of yourself at all, you big baby."

"Yaaay!" Axel clapped.

Of course, when Roxas tried to hit the ball, it went in the first time he hit it.

"You probably don't want to do any more holes, do you?" Roxas asked, ready to laugh.

"Well... I don't really wanna waste 500 munny since we only kind of did two holes," Axel pondered. "But at the same time I kinda wanna quit. Failure date, huh?"

"Naw, we still have plenty of time," Roxas said. "Wanna get a burger, though?"

"Sure. Then maybe we could just walk around the city and find something fun."

. • • • .

"Hey, Ax..." Roxas trailed.

"Yeah?"

"I had fun tonight."

"I'm glad. Me too."

"That's good."

The pair were sitting on the bus, exhausted. That night after getting dinner they had taken the bus back into the main part of the city and discovered there was a concert. They really had nothing better to do, so they went. They snuck a little closer to the stage than their "seats" said they were supposed to be, but no one stopped them.

"Wanna just go home, Rox?" Axel asked, absentmindedly stroking Roxas's hair. They were nice and snug together with Roxas leaning on Axel, almost laying on him.

"Mmm... yeah," Roxas replied, leaning into Axel's touch.

"Good, we partied too hard," Axel attempted chuckling.

"We can hang out on my porch," Roxas said. "There's a swing on there."

"Sounds like fun."

When Axel and Roxas sleepily arrived at Roxas's house, they just collapsed on the porch swing. It was nice to hear silence once in a while. The bus engine was loud, the concert was _very_ loud. Quiet was good.

In the serenity, Axel noticed his hand was clasped with Roxas's, though he didn't remember when it had happened or who had initiated such hand-holding. He didn't say anything, though, and just relished the feel of Roxas's hand pressed against his.

Roxas also drooped a little and leaned his weary head against Axel's shoulder. Axel leaned his head against Roxas's head.

"Tonight was really fun..." Roxas yawned. He rubbed his eye cutely.

"We should do this again," Axel said.

They shared a comfortable silence.

"Hey, Rox?" Axel asked.

"Hmm...?" Roxas mumbled softly.

Why was he getting so flustered for? Getting flustered was for virgins and people who hadn't had their first kiss yet, and Axel was neither of the two. He had lost his first kiss when he was 13 to some random chick and he had lost his virginity two years later to a girl in his class, of whom he could not quite remember the name. That didn't matter right now, though. He was nervous, and that was not good.

"I lo-" he began, but then looked down at Roxas.

He felt his breath come out in warm, even intervals. He was asleep. Axel sighed.

He could always tell him in the morning.

. • • • .

Bird chirping... what was that? Had he stayed over at Dolly's house? He had fallen asleep on that porch swing, hadn't he? Axel pried his eyes open and wiped the sleep from them. Wait... he wasn't at Roxas's house.

He was in a bed with white bedding. The clothes he had worn on his date with Roxas were gone and what replaced them was a white smock. Surrounding him were white walls. Machinery of all sorts were all around him. The IV and heart monitors were the only ones he recognised. He was in the hospital. What had happened? Why was he here?

Suddenly a door on the other side of the room opened. An older man in a lab coat and long bond hair tied back came in with a clipboard. His face was pointed and dignified. His eyes trailed from his clipboard to the confused redhead.

"Oh, good, you're up," the man said matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean? Why am I here and why am I attached to all these machines?" Axel asked.

"Oh, nothing much, you've been in a coma for a little while and-"

"A.. wait- A COMA?" Axel exclaimed at this blunt reply, almost leaping out of his skin. He felt green.

"Let me call your parents."

The man turned on his heel and went right out the way he had come, leaving Axel to think about what could have possibly happened.

He remembered the drugs. He remembered getting high. He didn't remember, however, how he could have ended up in the hospital in a coma.

When the doctor returned, Axel's mother and father were following him. They gave their son a glance. At least they cared enough to come.

"Thanks for calling us over, Dr. Vexen," his mother said, taking the doctor's hand and shaking it thoroughly.

"I'm sure," he replied stuffily, retracting his hand. "Now, here's the story. Your son was taking part in illegal substances."

A blank look.

"He did drugs. Cocaine to be specific, and he most likely got addicted."

Axel's mother grabbed a chair and sat down next to his bed, holding his hand. Axel didn't really know why she was doing it, though.

"A civilian found him unconscious on the sidewalk and brought him in to us. From there we discovered he was your son. There was a small investigation and we found that he had most likely jumped out of his window in a high. Axel, you've been in a coma for a little less than a year. Just in time to start school, hm?"

"Ex... excuse me?" Axel asked, quite stunned.

"Did you have a nice nap? Dream about anything?" the doctor's lips curled. The smile seemed devilish and wicked to Axel.

A... dream? Oh...

A sudden realization hit Axel.

Everything was a lie. The brighter world, the cleaner city, the nicer parents... and Roxas. Roxas did not exist.

Roxas wasn't real. He was a lie, too.

Roxas was just another illusion in his dream world that fluttered away once he opened his eyes to reality.

"Repeating senior year... how do you feel about that, Axel?" his mother asked.

Frankly, Axel felt sick, but not about that.

"Shitty," he grumbled. "But who cares about school?"

Everything had been going so beautifully... it was perfect. And then he woke up. Why did it have to happen? Why couldn't he have just stayed in a coma forever? He thought of everything he hadn't gotten a chance to do with Roxas. He felt a warm, stray tear trail down his face and hoped no one noticed. No one did, like always.

Axel had to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks for physical therapy and rehabilitation. It was a bit hard for him to walk for a couple days, but then he got used to it and built up muscle in his legs. There was a small gym in the hospital for him to work on other muscle. Pretty soon he was fit enough to leave and move back to his room at home.

When Axel got home, he noticed all the imperfections. He noticed the musky air, the peeling paint, the noisy neighbors and creaky floorboards. He noticed how different reality was. After his dream, everything was infinitely worse than before. Why did he have to wake up? It wasn't fair.

One day, Axel realized he was eighteen. It had really been a year, hadn't it? Axel decided to do something to change himself, on the outside at least. He decided to get tattoos. He had been thinking about what he wanted for a long time and he finally settled on two tear-drops, one on either cheek. Now that he was eighteen, he didn't need parental consent. That was what was really holding him back from getting them before. His parents would absolutely not let him get one. So he went out a got his tattoos. He felt like a badass on the bus ride home. He tried no to think about the heart attack his mother would have when she saw them.

"School starts next week, are you excited?" Axel's mom asked him one morning. He grunted in reply and retreated to his bedroom with a cup of steaming instant ramen.

Only a day left until school. How would he revert to the old life he had? In his dream, Roxas didn't like the smoke, so he had been trying to quit and it stuck with him even now. He had little desire to smoke. Maybe he could start again. That afternoon he went out and bought a pack of cigarettes. He hung out of his window for the rest of the day, smoking away.

The next morning, Axel actually got up for school. He was thinking about not going at all. He didn't feel like hearing his mom bitch and moan, though, so he decided he needed to go.

He checked his tats in the mirror to see if they were really, truly there. It was kinda weird having tattoos, but at the same time he loved them. Best decision ever. After asking Roxas out, of course, but that never really happened.

Once Axel got to school, he was immediately critical of it. It was drab and musty and there were weird stains on the walls. He had no clue how he had missed these before. Though one thing he noticed most of all was that people drew back in fear when they saw him. Who wants to mess with a giant guy with tattoos on his face and spiky, crimson-red hair? Fuck yeah, no one, that's who.

On his way to his first class, Axel experienced the oddest feeling of déjà vu. He shrugged off the feeling. Suddenly, he heard a yelp and a squeek. He figured it must be some kid running from bullies.

He listened to the sounds around him.

"Ohmigawd, he like, totally asked me out and I was like, uh, no way! And he was all..."

The girly teeny-boppers who liked to gossip and use the word "like."

"C'mon, fag! Into the trash you go..."

Some jock or other butch kid bullying on some poor dweeb.

"Um... no I'd really prefer not to... umm..."

The dweeb trying to get out of it. Did he really think he'd win?

"Hey, come back here!"

He ran away, did he? Poor, poor, brave soul.

And then Axel felt an impact. There it was again, that feeling of déjà vu. Pencils and books sprawled and flew around, hitting the ground around the same time Axel and the person who ran into him did. Why did this seem so familiar?

"Looks like you got yourself saved this time, faggot!" the bully cat-called and walked away.

"Shit, I am so sorry, I... are you okay?" the kid said, but got distracted by the look on Axel's face.

He was in awe. Directly in front of him was a kid with sparkling blue eyes and golden-wheat hair. He was also the spitting image of Roxas.

Axel remembered he had a first impression to make, and he wasn't doing well as it was.

"Oh, uh... yeah," he said, getting up. "Sorry, I kinda... dozed for a sec or something."

Smooth. Real smooth.

He held out a hand for the blond and began helping him pick up his things.

"Oh, that's okay... are you alright? I wasn't looking where I was going..."

"No, I'm fine. So what's your deal, kid? You got a name?"

"...Roxas."

Axel paused. He felt like crying.

"The name's Axel, got it memorized?" he asked, smiling warmly to himself. His heart felt like it would burst.

. • • • .

A/N:

Yeah, so I revamped this bitch. I thought it was terrible, and a reader even told me in a few parts it was boring. I hadn't given it nearly as much love and effort as I had given Lost and Found. It took me WAY less time to write it (several months less), even though it's only 7000 or so words less than LaF. So this is the new and improved version. Thanks for putting up with that other thing that was up here before. This version has more details and imaginative writing and such like. I also fixed some grammar and punctuation errors. Like, seriously, at one point, Axel has his hands in his pockets and then Roxas held his hand. That makes no sense (unless Roxy stuffed his hand in Axel's pocket rofl), so I fixed it. Also I realized that the two times I used Axel's catchphrase, I spelled it differently. xD It's not harshly different, there's only more meat on them bones. I hope you enjoy it. c:

If you are a silly person and do not understand my countless stupid references, here are the ones I remember off the top of my head:

Duskman = Batman

The Duck Bros = The Dutch Bros

The Flurry of Dancing Flames and The Key to Destiny = Axel and Roxas's "code names" I guess. They were the names of games in the arcade.

As always, thanks to each and every reader and reviewer. I love you gaiz. Your reviews make me smile and make me want to write more. Unless you is a hater. Then your reviews make me want to punch you in the face with a walrus. Indeed.


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